Easter Bunnies
by NettieC
Summary: Two bunnies - one mission, one has to go and it's Mac who decides to leave, once and for all.


Disclaimer: Not mine  
>AN: Written for the HBX April Challenge.<p>

Easter Bunnies

Away on assignment for the two weeks before Easter, Harm arrived home on Saturday afternoon to an apartment that needed cleaning, sleep which needed catching up on and a nagging feeling he was supposed to be doing something this particular weekend. Emptying out his seabag, Harm pulled out the items needing to be laundered, and the toiletries which needed replacing, before putting it in the bottom of his wardrobe.

It was then his weekend commitment hit him, literally. The white fluffy bunny costume sitting on the shelf tumbled down hitting him on the head. Smiling, Harm remembered he had promised Bud that, if he was back in time, he would play the Easter bunny during their traditional Easter Sunday morning egg hunt.

After making the promise, a month ago, Harm had picked up the suit and paid the month's rental just to make sure he had a proper fitting suit. After all, there weren't too many fluffy white suits out there for six foot bunnies.

In the cane basket next to his seabag, there were a multitude of brightly wrapped eggs also ready for distribution. He'd gotten them the day he organised the suit, although he had been surprised to see the chocolate eggs for sale so early.  
>"Actually, sir," said the cashier when he made the comment to her, "We've had them since before Valentine's Day."<p>

Not thinking he had to confirm the plans for the following day, Harm spent the evening getting himself squared away after his 14 day absence and had an early night.

Up at dawn, Harm took the opportunity for a long run before picking up some breakfast and a newspaper at the local deli and enjoying it in his apartment.

Dressed in his fluffy suit, minus the full rabbit head, as it would make driving too hard, Harm collected his basket of goodies, head and keys before making his way down to his car and heading to the Roberts' place. Pulling up down the block, Harm fixed his head in position, before taking the basket and sticking his keys in the secret pocket.

Too embarrassed to hop in case anyone was watching, Harm walked down the side of the house before opening the side gate and coming face to face with a white fluffy bunny with a pink nose, long whiskers, a cute cotton tail and chocolate brown eyes he would know anywhere.  
>"Mac?" he said, trying to grab her arm with his rabbit's foot and startling her.<br>"What the hell?" she said shrugging off his touch and turning to face him. "When did you get home?  
>"Got home yesterday afternoon," he said, standing flush against the wall when a shadow crossed the window.<br>"You didn't call me," she said, unimpressed.  
>"Well, we didn't exactly leave things on good terms when I left," he replied, thinking she looked incredibly cute in her costume, not at all prepared to voice it.<br>"That's because you were an ass," she said bluntly, knowing Harm wouldn't dispute it.  
>"Why are you here?" he whispered, trying to change the topic.<br>"To be the Easter Bunny," she whispered in reply. "I thought it would be obvious given my attire but you're not too good with obvious, are you?"  
>"But I'm the Easter Bunny," he protested, ignoring her comment, "I promised Bud."<br>"I promised Harriet," she replied, trying to be annoyed with him but finding it hard when he looked so adorable with his big blue eyes and long white whiskers.  
>"What do we do now?" he asked, knowing that while AJ and probably Jimmy didn't believe in the Easter Bunny, the four year old twins did and neither wanted to spoil it for their youngest godchildren.<br>"I'll tell you what," she said, upending the contents of her basket into his. "You go be the Easter Bunny. I'm out of here."

Turning quickly, Mac went to open the gate but Harm stopped her once more.  
>"Mac, don't go," he said, keeping his hand on her arm.<br>"Don't go?" she questioned. "I thought we'd just decided we both couldn't stay?"  
>"We did," he agreed.<br>"So, if I can't stay and I can't go, just what the hell do you want?" she challenged.  
>"I want you not to be so annoyed at me," he replied honestly.<br>"Well, good luck with that," she said, storming out the best she could in big floppy feet and heading back to her car parked across the road and down a bit.

Realising he couldn't afford to cause a scene for the kids by calling out to her, or worse, having a full scale argument here, Harm fixed his bunny head, put his basket in the other hand and began hopping around the yard planting eggs for the Roberts Family Traditional Egg Hunt. Right on cue, Nikki looked out the back door.  
>"Easter Bunny! Easter Bunny!" she yelled, causing her brothers to come running. Michael squealed with delight as Jimmy opened the door and all four children sprinted from the house. While AJ and Jimmy were focused on the eggs, Nikki and Michael were hugging the bunny's legs tightly and Harm nearly fell over more than once.<br>"Hoppy Easter!" he said in an altered voice, ruffling their hair. "Make sure you look high and low, for there are Easter eggs wherever you go."

Hopping away he threw a dozen or so small solid eggs on the grass and continued up the back door.  
>"Hoppy Easter," he called to Bud and Harriet but once he was sure the children were preoccupied with their eggs, he told them briefly of his run in with Mac and that he needed to go immediately before things got more screwed up between them than they already were.<p>

With Mac catching all the red lights and Harm catching the green, he bounded up the stairs at her apartment block reaching her door only minutes after she had entered.

Banging on the door, Harm soon realised he looked a sight in the costume, minus the head, and hoped that no little ones had spied his hasty entrance.  
>"What?" she snapped pulling the door open, still dressed in her costume, only the ears missing.<br>"We need to talk," he said, stepping past her to get in.  
>"I don't remember asking you in," she said, not moving from the doorway.<br>"You didn't," he said. "But there are kids on this floor and I don't want to spoil their day."

Begrudgingly, Mac conceded not wanting her actions to spoil anyone's day.  
>"Make it fast then," she said folding her arms and leaning back on the door.<br>"Look, I'm sorry about the confusion this morning, it was obviously a communication error and we were both trying to the right thing for our godchildren," he said, hoping the mention of the Roberts children would soften her mood.  
>"Yes, we were," she said, her tone not changing.<br>"So hopefully we can put it behind us and still enjoy lunch over there," he continued, desperate for her to give him a break.  
>"I'm sure you'll enjoy lunch immensely," she said, pushing off the door and brushing past him. "Even more so as I won't be there. I called Harriet when I got back and told her I couldn't make it."<br>"What? Why?" he said, stepping into her space.  
>"Because I don't want to spoil their day by having tension between us," she said moving away from him. "So, you go enjoy lunch, I said I'd go over for supper and to tuck them into bed."<br>"Mac," he protested. "There's really no need for you to miss lunch."  
>"Harm," she replied, "I think it's for the best if we're not there together."<p>

Shaking his head, Harm tried to find a safe way to vent his frustration. He knew he'd screwed up before his assignment, he had just convinced himself Mac would let it slide and all would be forgiven.  
>"Now," she continued. "If there's nothing else..."<br>Not prepared to let it go at that, Harm knew their relationship was teetering on the precipice and if he let this go on it may be damaged beyond repair.  
>"There is something else," he said slowly and his tone irked Mac, she knew what was coming. "I want to talk about what happened the night before I left."<br>"I don't think that's necessary," she said. "Your actions spoke volumes."  
>"Let me explain," he said quickly. "I want you to understand."<br>"What the hell is there to understand?" she retorted. "We'd been getting closer and I tried to move things forward and you rejected me."  
>"I did not," he spat, hurt by the insinuation.<br>"Bull!" she replied, her eyes fiery. "I went to kiss you; you brushed me off and took off so fast you left skid marks on the stairs."  
>"That's not how it was," he responded, vigorously shaking his head.<br>"It is exactly how it was," she replied. "We had had a great dinner, a fun night dancing, came back here and you were standing by the kitchen door and I leant in to kiss you and you bolted."

Drawing several deep breaths, Harm tried to figure out what to say, while he had tried to deny it since, Mac's recollection was correct and now he was stuck.  
>"Nothing to say?" she questioned, before moving back to her door and opening it. "Didn't think so. You should go ... you don't want to be late for lunch."<p>

With one large hand, Harm pushed on the door shutting it hard.  
>"No," he said. "You are going to understand if it kills me."<br>Mac sighed exasperated; what did she need to do to end this debacle of an Easter Sunday morning?

"I thought you just made it clear there was nothing else to understand?" she said her earlier bluster blown out. "There's nothing you can say or do now, Harm. It's too late, I've had enough."

Instantly, Harm knew what he had to do. He'd be damned if after 13 years of knowing this woman, most of which he had felt something for her, that he was going to blow it all because he had been too scared to let her kiss him. Yes, that's right; he'd been scared. They had had the best of evenings; dinner, dancing, casual conversation, a little hand holding and the moment Mac made a move to kiss him he had fled.

Rather than lying or going with false bravado, Harm took her furry hand in his, hoping she wouldn't swing it up and hit him. "I was scared," he admitted quietly. "We'd had a wonderful evening and you went to kiss me and I panicked...I admit it."  
>"You were scared?" she challenged, her brow furrowed.<p>

Looking at his face she knew it had taken every ounce of courage to admit that to her. "Of what?"  
>"Of you," he said simply, relieved she hadn't laughed in his face.<br>"I didn't think I was that scary," she said, fighting her tears.  
>"You're not," he said, finding it hard not to caress her face. "You are amazing..."<br>"So, it's just the thought of me kissing you that scares you?" she said quietly, her energy sapped.  
>"Yes," he replied adamantly, the hurt in her eyes paining him. "And do you want to know why?" he continued.<p>

Mac just shrugged; at this stage she really didn't know the answer to that one.

"I know we've kissed before, Mac," he said gently, still holding her hand. "But they were situational ones ... not a lot of pressure...but this time ...this time it was about us ... really about us ... our first real kiss as we head towards something," he continued, still using the present tense. "The thought of kissing you both thrills and scares me in ways I struggled to understand but I think it is because I know, in here," he said, tapping his chest above his heart, "That this will be our last first kiss ... there is no one in this world for me but you ... no one in the world I want but you ... and yeah, I'll admit that when that thought hit me I panicked and I shouldn't have. Sarah MacKenzie," he pushed on, ignoring the tears in her eyes and the ones in his own, "I know I haven't shown it but I am very much yours ... and it kills me that I hurt you. It was definitely not my intention... I was just scared and I am so very, very sorry."

Deciding that words were overrated, Mac did what she attempted to do last time and moved in to kiss him once more. Just before their lips met, Mac pulled back.  
>"Are you alright with me kissing you this time?" she asked, her arms now around his waist.<br>"Definitely," he said with a grin.

Lips met lips, soft, tender, loving but before it deepened, Harm pulled back laughing and Mac didn't know if she should be offended or angry. Before she could speak, Harm did.  
>"I'm sorry," he said, trying to stifle his laugh. "But your whiskers tickle," he said, touching the long white whiskers still adorning her face. Mac could only laugh.<p>

Carefully, pulling them off, Mac grabbed a Kleenex and wiped off the pink rabbit nose she'd painted on. Soon their lips were locked once more.

While the kisses were sweet and tender, both knew that there were more conversations to have, more things to be understood, more details to work out but for now, on Easter morn, the day about new life and renewal, both decided that this was enough for them, for now ... the rest would come in its own sweet time ... and it did.


End file.
